Condenser



A. R. MUIRHEAD Sept. 18, 1945.

i coNDENsER Filed June 5o. 1943 4` Sheets-.Sheet l INVENTURv ALFRED R. MUIR l-[E- u EY ATv

A. R. MUIRHEAD CONDENSER Sept. 18, 1945.

Filed June 30, 1943 4|Sheets-'Sheet 2 f INVENTDR ALFREp RMUIRHEAD AT El *Sept I8, 1945. A; R. MUIRHEAD CONDENSER Filed June 0so, 1943 4 sheen-sheet s NN vv INVENT'DH ALFRED n muIRHE/m ATTDR EY A. R. MUIRHEAD A 2,385,297

CONDENSER 4 Filed June 30, 1943 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 IN VENT EIR A FRED RJYILURH EAU BY W70 ATTBNEY Patented Sept. 18, 1945 UNITED oolvDIlNsnRj4 Alfred R. Muirhead, ColumhusgjGa., `to

Lummus Cotton Gin Company, a corporation 'of Georgia Application June 3o, 194s, jserialfNo. 492,819"v 12 claims. (C1. `19e-e156) yThis invention relates to condensers 'such' as are employed in separating air borne brousmaterials 'from their accompanying air currents and has for an object the provision of apparatus o f the character designated which shall be simple and sturdy of ,design and which shall embody improvedY means lfor e collecting and discharging material from the apparatus.'

, A further object of my invention is toeprovide av'condenser ofthe type comprising a rotary foraminous drum, means vacuum within the drum, and means to limit the area Vvof the drum through which air is drawn during its rotation, in which an endless apron cooperates with the drum over a part of its active.y

area to hold the material collected on the drum surface until it passes to an inactive part of the cycle of operation and is discharged from the machine.

A: still further object of my invention is to pro vide a suction condenser including a rotaryforaminousdrum in which the drum is partially enclosed within a casing and the area of the drum subject'to suction is limited toa part of v its cyvclelofoperation, `and in ywhich improved sealing'means are provided to prevent leakage ofairinto the casing or the drum from the out-l,

side".

Anotherobject of my invention is a suction condenser for separating airborne librous material from its accompanying air cur-- rent which shall include `a moving apron to aid in collecting and discharging material from the condenser drum, and in which improved means are provided for driving the drum and the apron4 to cause them to travel in unison.

In the operation of suction condensers as here tofore known to me diiiicultieshave been encountered due to the breaking of the partial vacuum within the condenser drum when large lumps or masses of material become collected on the drum surface.` It has beenthe usuall practice to employa roll, or hinged back, separating the space between the active portion of the drum surface and theinactive portion thereof, and

pushed outwardly by irregular masses of material whensuch are encountered, thus leavin'guny sealedspaces betweenk the roller and the d drum surface through which air may leak to the inside to create a partial to provide sealsjthe drum over f These and otherdfilculties are overcome by means" of my invention which, briefly, is a Condenseroflthe'type embodying a. rotary ioraminous drum, withzmeans inside the drum to Separatefitinto active and inactive zones for the purpose-of' collecting and discharging materials thcreirom. leasing partially encircles the active zone" and, in accordance" with my invention, I provide an apron or belt moving with thesurface of the drum and covering the remainderjof the active vsurface thereof so as to aid in forming the batof material on the drum and in discharg- 'lflli it' therefrom. The moving apron eiiectively the area it contacts and prevents the leakage ofl air thereinto along the sidesand atitlle point of material discharge, and thus `insuresoperation of the condenser at a uniform;` partial vacuum. Other features of my invention -resideln improved means for sealing these yrollers or backs, being rigid members, are

rso of the drum. When this occurs, the Vvacuum` off 'thegactive 1zone of, the condenser against the ingress of air fromlthe. outside, inthe mounting andja'rrangement of the moving apron, and in the "improved drivirlg'means for the condenser apparatus takengaloneitne `une I- of Fie- 3:

Fig. '2 isfanend elevational view with certain parts broken away, and showing ,one `lorin of drive; i

Figg is atransverse sectional view taken alone Fie- 1;'

,Figi ,1451s -afraement'ary Sectional view drawn taneiliarged scale'illustrating the manner of sealinglof the'inactive portion of the condenser drum# l, Y

Wlgfis a'firagmentary sectional View drawn to largerscalef and taken along thelineV-V offFg12 Y Figo is a' detail `view of a casing head;

Fig. ,'Ti'sia iragmentaryfedge view ofthe casing headiand'gudes; and v "Ei'gff isa 'fragmentary end View showing a modieldfformof drive;

Referrngto the `drawings iol' a better under- 'starid "fof myinvention, Ishow a main frame shaft being secured to lthe members I I by suitable securing means ysuch as bolts 24. Mounted for free rotation on the shaft 23 is a material collecting drum comprising circular channel-like heads 26 and 21 having spokes 28 and 29 connecting them to hubs 3I and 32 which are journalled on the shaft 23, the hubs 3I and. 32 being free to rotate on the shaft. Mounted on the heads 26 and 21 is the usual forarninous cover 33. The outer flanges of the heads 26 and 21 are providedwith sprocket teeth 34 for driving the drum ina. manner to be described later. The drum is closed at one end by means of a coverplate 36 tting over the inner flange of the head 26, while the other end is connected to the usual suction conduit 31. The suction conduit 31 is flaredat 38 to connect to a stationary ring 39 which'is secured in any suitable manner to the cross framemember I I. A circular sealing strip 4I is secured to the inner flange of thel head 21 Vand overlaps the ring (39 to prevent leakageof air from the outside into the suction connection, which would tend to" prevent the formation of the partial vacuum within the drum, necessary for the operation of the condenser.V The suction pipe is ilared to compensate for'the obstruction .to the ow of air afforded by the Ycrossv member II and spokes 29 at theend of the drum. Mounted within the lower part of the drum is an imperforate sheet metal housing 42 which is supported at its ends by semi-circular rims 43.v The rims 43 are provided with spokes 44 and 46 connected to central hubs 41 and 48 which are securedto the shaft 23 by any suitable means such as set screws 49, so thatV the housing 42 remains stationary within the drum as'the vlatter rotates about the shaft 23. The spokes'44 and 46 are connected' together by 'longitudinallyextending sheetmetal members .5I and 52`wliich extend from end to en'd' ofthe drum. Mounted on the members 5I and 52 and extending downwardly to Contact vthe inner surface of the perforate' coverA 33 are flexible sealing strips 53vand 54. See Fig. 4; To prevent leakage of air around the ends of the housing 42, I provide ashin'g strips 56 and 51 whichar'e joined to. the rims 43 and contact the outerls'urface of the heads 26 and 21 just beneath the perforate cover 33.,V The ingress of air due tos'uction through the conduit 31 is accordingly limited t'o theupper part of the drum.

Suitably .supported in bearings 58 andv 59 mounted' on the upperframe members Ill' is an upper sprocket shaft 6 I. A similar lower sprocket shaft'62 is mounted in bearings' 63 and'64, which are in turn'mounted'on the lowerfr'ame members I2; 'Mounted on the ends of the upper sprocket shaft Glare sprocket wheels 66 and 61and be' tween the sprocket wheels 66 and 61 is a roller 68, having a diameter equal to the pitch diameter of the sprockets 66 and 61, and extending the full distance between said sprockets. Similarly, the lower sprocket shaft 62 has'mounte'd on its -ends sprocket wheels 69 and 1I and between them a roller' 12, similar to the roller 68. lA sprocket chain 1 3v connects the sprocket wheelsl 66 and 69 and a similar sprocket vchain 14 connects the sprocket 'wheels 61and 1I.` Onv the outer sides of each4 of the sprocket; chains 13 and 14 are clips 16 to 1 hold the chains againstlateral displace# ment: ,'seeFig. 5. The chains 13 and'14 engage the teeth 34 on the Vdrum heads as shown and rottethe drumj 1 .j j "Mounted onthe rollers 68 and12 between the- Cil sprockets 13 and 14 is an endless substantially imperforate apron or belt 11 which is of ample dimensions to extend from the sprocket 66 to the sprocket 61 and also to ilex responsive to suction within the drum to accommodate material collected on the drum surface. The apron 11 is secured to the chains 13 and 14 by means of clips 18 secured to the sides of the links of the chains as shown particularly in Fig. 5.. The apron 11, being loosely mounted on the drum, bags under the iniiuence of a partial vacuum within the drum, and assumesV a position such as shown in Figs. 3 and 5 to cover the drum surface from the point X to the point Y, thus covering a portion of heads;

` 8 I `as shownfin Fig. 7', andagainst `the active surface of the drum and a part of the inactive surface, defined by the housing 42, so that material collected on the active portion of the drum surface is held against the drum until it reaches the inactive zone and is then freely discharged therefrom. 'I'he apron and drum, being driven by the chains 13 and 14, travel at the same speed. y

` Enclosing the remainder of the active surface of the drum is a casing having larcuate heads 19 and 8| secured by any suitable means, not shown, to the upper frame members I1 and longitudinal members I9 and v20. A cover 82 extends over the end frame members 19 and 8| and terminates at the rear of the Aapparatus adjacent the apron 11. The lower forward ends of the members 19 and 8I are 'joined 4by a plate 83 extending the length of the apparatus and define, with the cover 82, an inlet opening 84'for a conduit 86 carrying airborne brousy material to be separated. A flexible sealing strip 81 is joined to the rear edge of the plate 83 and bears against the outer surface of the cover 33 to prevent the leakage of air into the casing. See Fig. 4. 'The heads 19 and 8l lare sealed'against leakage by means of angular sealingstrips 88 and 89 carried by the heads 19 and 8 I, respectively, and bearing against the outer surface of the'cover 33 where it joins the heads 26 and 21.

` The rear of the casing terminatesin a tubular guide rail 9I which is joined to the heads 19 and v A which the apron 11 is adaptedto bear, in operation, toseal against leakage of air into the casing between the apron and the casing. A,

"Thecasing heads 19 vand SI are 'each cut oi yat-the lrear along a lline 92 which is tangent to the peripheries of the cover 33 and the sprocket wheels 66 and 61. At the rear Vof the casing the heads 19 andv 6I y, are provided with bosses 95 on which aremounted guide bars v9,6(see Figs. 5, 6, and '7), which are joined to the'bosse's by'means of screws 91 or any `other suitable fastening means. The guidi/..bars 96 extend downwardly across the heads along the line 92 and are engaged by the extension clips 16 on the outside of the'chains 13 and 14,already described, to hold the chains in alignment againstr the inward pull of the apron 11 due to the suction acting inwardly of vthe drum. As shown in Fig. 5 of the drawings, theV belt orjapron 11 is carried by the sprocket chains 13and 14 along the outer ends of the casing'head and bearsvtightlyagainst the end flanges 415 on the casing heads so as to seal 01T that portion of the casing from. the ingress of air .between thebelt or apron. and the casingr The suction effect on the belt or apron 1,1is suchV 'as tof draw it -into.tight.`engagement with'lthe outer surfacesof the casing vheads.

-"The," apparatus maybe driven in several Ways,

two beingjshowninpFigsg'lB, and 8.,' Referring rst to Fig. 2, I show a shaft 98 extendingrv longitudinallybeneath the drum and mounted in suitable bearings 99, carried by the lower cross'frame members l2. Mounted on the shaft'98 is a pulley IDI carrying a cross belt Hi8 which 'extends rearwardly and passes over a pulleylil mounted on the shaft 62. i Y Y Also mounted on the shaft 98 is a wiper cylinder carrying a plurality of iiexible wiping blades |01 which, on rotation of thev shaft, contact the surface of the drum cover `33 and wipe off any `material which might beclinging to the surface, the wiper blades extending the full length of the drum.

In Fig. 8 I show a modified form of drive viewed from the end of the apparatus opposite that shown in Fig. 2. In accordance with this modication, I mount a sprocket H0 on the shaft 98 and an idler sprocket lll on the vertica1 frame member I3'. A third sprocket Il?. is mounted on the shaft S2. A chain H3 connects the sprockets Il!! and IH and also engages the teeth on the sprocket H2 to drive the shaft 62. The sprocket lli is mounted in adjustable bearings li4 whereby the tension on the chain H3 may be maintained. l

The shaft 98 is driven'rby a pulley -il in a counterclockwise direction as viewedin Figs. 2 and 3 to eifect rotation of the drum in the same direction so that material entering the casing from the inlet 36 is drawn on to the surface of the drum in the active zone defined by the upper forward edge of the housing 4t and forms a bat on the surface Aof the drum. AAs the drum rotates, and the bat reaches the apron 11, the latter covers the drum and the bat and prevents further ingress of air through the bat, or around any irregular mass of material on the drum into the interior of the drum. The loose apron or belt is held in tight engagement with the bat until it passes the upper rear edge of the housing 42 when it is no longer acted upon by the partial vacuum within the drum and it falls by gravity from the surface of the drum. It will be seen that the apron, being loose and yielding, will close down over the drum around any irregular shaped mass of material and preserve the partial vacuum within the drum. I have found this to be true no matter how bulky or irregular in size the mass of material may be. Furthermore, an irregular mass of material passing out at one side of the apron does not allow any air to enter the casing at either side of the mass due to the loose bagging effect of the apron in bearing against the material. Also, as already described, the belt or apron 11 effectively seals the casing against the ingress of air across the ends of the casing heads 19 and 8|.

From the foregoing it will be apparent that I have devised an improved condenser which is simple and sturdy of design and operation, and which includes improved means for collecting and discharging fibrous material from the surface of the drum.

While I have shown my invention in but two forms, it will be obvious to those skilled in the art that it is not so limited, but is susceptible of various changes and modifications, without departing from the spirit thereof, and I desire, therefore, that only such limitations shall be vplaced thereupon as are specifically set forth in the appended claims What I claim is:

l. In a condenser, a rotary foraminous drum, a casing partially surrounding the drum and having an inlet opening along one side for air bornenfiaterial,l suction means connected with the interior 'of the drum through one en'd thereof, means in the drum `to exclude air from passing through a-part of the surface of the drum outside the casing, and a substantially imperforate apron moving 'with the surface of the drum to exclude air from the remainder of the drum surface outside the casing.

2. In a condenser, including a horizontally disposed rotary foraminous drum and suction means connected with an end of the drum to draw air through the ydrum surface, means within the drumfor dividing it into active and inactive portions, a casing partially surrounding the active portion of the drum and having an inlet opening along one side for air borne material, and a substantially `irnperforate moving belt covering the remainder` of the active portion of the drum surface to `exclude air from that portion of the drum and discharge material collected on the drum surface.

3. In a condenser, arotary foraminous drum, suction means for creating a flow of air inwardly through the drum surface, means limiting the flow ofair throughthe drum surface to a part of its cycle of rotation, a casing the drum through which air is permitted to flow, and having an inlet opening along one side thereof for air borne material to be separated, and a substantially imperforate belt outside the drum covering the remainder'of the active drum surfaceoutside the'casing to impede the flow of air therethrough and discharge material collected on the drum surface.

`-4. In a condenser, a rotary foraminous drum, suction means for creating a flow of air inwardly through the drum, surface, stationary means within the drum for closing orf the fiow of air through a part of its surface and dividing the area circumscribed by the drum into an active zone and an inactive zone, a casing over a part of the active zone, and a substantially imperforate belt outside the drum disposed t0 travel with the drum outside the casing through the remainder of the active zone and to hold material collected on the drurn surface in contact therewith until it reaches the inactive zone.

5. In a condenser, a horizontally disposed rotary foraminous drum, suction means for creating a flow of air inwardly through the drum surface, a casing over the upper portion of the drum and having an inlet along one side for air borne material to be separated, a stationary closure within the drum for closing off the flow of air through the lower portion of the drum and dividing the area circumscribed by the drum into active and inactive zones, and a substantially imperforate belt moving with the downgoing side of the drum surface through a part of the active zone and disposed to cover and hold material in place on the drum surface until it reaches the inactive zone.

6. In a condenser for air borne fibrous material, a rotary foraminous drum, suction means for creating a partial vacuum within the drum, a stationary partition within the drum dividing the area defined by the drum surface into active and inactive zones, a casing for the drum extending over the major portion of the active zone, a loose belt covering the remainder of the active zone on the discharge side of the drum and overlapping one end of the casing to seal it against ingress of air, and a sprocket chain to which the belt is attached and adapted to drive the belt and the drum together.

over a part of f A'7. In a condenser for air borne fibrous material,`

a'rotary foraminous drum, suction means for creating a partial vacuum Within the drum, astationary partition within the drum dividing the area denned by the drum surface into active and inactive zones, av casing for the drum extending over the major portion of the active zone, a sprocket chain at each end of the drum and adapted to rotate the drum, a belt loosely spanning the space between the sprocket chains and bearing against the drum through the remainder of the active zone, and means at one end of the casing -coacting with the beltto seal the casing against the ingress of air. Y

i 8T In a condenser for air borne brous material, a rotary foraminous drum, suction means for creating a partial vacuum within the drum, a stationary means within the drum dividing the area dened by the drum surface into active and inactive zones, a casing for the drum extending over the major portion of the active zone, a sprocket chain at each end of the drum and adapted to rotatethe drum, a belt loosely spanning the space between the sprocket chains and bearing against the drum through the remainder of the active zone, means on the end of the casing coacting with the vbelt to prevent the ingress of air into the casing past the belt, and guide means carried by the casing for holding the sprocketchainsV against lateral displacement.

9. In a, suction condenser for air borne fibrous material, the combination of a foraminous drum,

means to rotate the drum, means for subjecting l the drum to suction during a period of its cyclek of rotation, means for closing off the action of suction over a section of the drum surface during another period of its cycle of rotation, and a substantially imperforate apron disposed to move with the surface of the drum and to be drawn toward the drum -by suction during the latter part of the suction period.

`10. In a condenser for air borne fibrous material, a rotary foraminous drum, suction means for creating a partial vacuum Within the drum, a stationary means within the drum dividing the area defined lby the drum surface into active and inactive zones, a casing for the drum extending over the major portion of the active zone, a sprocket chainV at each end ofthe drum and adapted to rotate the drum, a substantially impervious belt loosely spanning the space between the sprocket chains and bearing against the sides of the casing and adapted to bag inwardly responsive to suction within the drum, a guide rail extending across the rear of the casing and adapted to have sealing engagement with the belt when the condenser is in operation, means to secure the sides of the belt to the chains, and means to hold the chains against displacement responsive to lateral pull by the belt.

11. Apparatus as Set forth in claim 10 in which sealing strips coact between the sides of the casing and the drum to prevent ingress of air from the outside into the casing.

l2. Apparatus as set forth in claim 10 in which the means within the drum dividing the area dened by the drum surface into active and inactive zones comprises a semicylindrical sheet metal housing mounted within the drum, means for holding the housing against rotation, and sealing means along the edges of the housing and at the ends to preclude ingress of air into the drum around the housing.

ALFRED R. MUIRHEAD. 

